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Local Show Jumper Goes For Third Gold In Olympics

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Aug 19, 2008 5:41 pm US/Eastern

Local Show Jumper Goes For Third Gold In Olympics

Reporting
Tony Aiello

BREWSTER, N.Y. (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: McLain Ward, a Putnam County native and Olympic gold medalist, grew up training on Castle Hill Farm in Brewster.
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One of our local Olympians is savoring his second gold medal and is hoping to bring home a third. He's McLain Ward of Putnam County, a member of the U.S. equestrian show jumping team.

For more than 60 years, Barney Ward has been saddling up and taking his jumps, but the grizzled horseman was as skittish as a foal while his son competed for Olympic gold on Monday morning.

"My stomach was doing flip flops. If I had a weak heart, I think I would have had a heart attack," the elder Ward told CBS 2. "And that's the pressure, only because you want him to reach all his goals."

They are celebrating at Castle Hill Farm in Brewster, a farm that's home to the 32-year-old Olympian, who earned gold with team USA in show jumping at the Olympic equestrian venue in Hong Kong.

"We work all our lives for this. Every morning we get up, and this is amazing. It's great," says Erica McKeever, an employee of the farm who helps train "Sapphire," the 13-year-old mare who McLain has ridden to countless wins around the world, including a gold medal with team USA four years ago in Athens.

But the Athens gold came months after the games ended, when the German riders were disqualified.

Barney Ward says this time the satisfaction is indescribable.

"I have nothing but great admiration for my son," he says. "His work ethic is phenomenal. For him to realize his dreams, as a father, it fulfills everything you've done. All the hard work."

With more hard work still to come. When McLain rides for individual gold on Thursday morning, they'll be up at the crack of dawn at farm, rooting him on from half-a-world away.

And with luck, McLain could compete at many future Olympics. One Canadian rider is 61-years-old and competing in his ninth Olympic games.